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J. S. SWENSON AND F. E. STEHLIK.

UGHTNING ROD.

APPUCATION FILED JAN-4,191].

Patented May 18, 1919'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. SWENSON, OF CRESCO, IOWA, AND FRANK E. STEHLIK, 0F OAK PARK,ILLINOIS.

LIGHTNING-ROD.

Specification of "Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed January 4, 1917-. Serial No. 140,553.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN S. Swanson and FRANK E. STEHLIK, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cresco and Oak Park, respectively, in thecounties of Howard and Cook, respectively,'and States of Iowa andIllinois, respectively, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lightning-Rods; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lightning rod construction andmore particularly to the manner of connecting the rod that extendsvertically above the structures to be protected and designed to receivethe bolts or charges of lightning, and the cable or other conductor thatextend horizontally across the top of the protected structure.

The object of the invention is. to form between the upright standardthat receives the charge and the cable that conducts said charge to theground, a simple rigid and inexpensive connection.

A further object of the invention is to produce such a connectionwherein a maximum contact surface between the usual tubular uprightstandard and the cable may be obtained.

With these and other objects in view. which will hereinafter more fullyappear, the present invention consists in certain I novel details ofconstruction and arrangements of parts, hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims; it being fully understood that variouschanges in form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may bemade Within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lowerportion of an upright standard connected to a cable or other conductor.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of thelower end of an upright standard prepared according to our invention toreceive the cable.

Similar numerals are employed to designate corresponding parts.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, 1 is a tubularupright standard of the usual type to be connected to the horizontalcable or conductor indicated at 2. To provide a simple rigid con nectionbetween these two members wherein. a maximum contact surface may beobtained, the tubular standard 1 is slit or cut throughout a portion ofits length adjacent its lower extremity as at 3, said slit or out beingparallel to the elements of the tubular standard. Beginning at thelowermost extremity of the slitted tubular standard, the metal thereofis spread or flared as shown at 4, and flattened as at 5, for anydesired portion of the slitted length, as for instance, as at (S, thelength of this flattened end being determined by the diameter of thecable to be inclosed therein. The extreme corners of this flattened endof the slitted tube, are preferably cut away as at 7, so that when theend 8 is doubled up to inclose the cable 2, as seen in Fig. 2, thecorners 9 will pass between and Within the flared edges 4: of thetubular standard 1.

The flattened end 5 of the slitted standard 1 is designed to be wrappedor doubled around the cable 2 as shown in Fig. 2, and clamped rigidlyand securely in position by means of a bolt 10, said bolt passingthrough a hole 11 in the flattened end 5 of the tubular standard, andthence through a hole 12 positioned between the lower extremities of theflared edges 4. The bolt 10 is provided with a nut 13, means being thusfurnished to draw the portion 14 of the flattened end tightly around thecable 2. It is understood that the holes 11 and 12 may be drilledseparately as shown in Fig. 3, or simultaneously drilled after the end 8has been bent into the position shown in Fig. 2.

It is plainly evident from the foregoing description of the inventionthat a simple, inexpensive and rigid connection is provided between theupright standard and the cable wherein a maximum contact surface for agiven size tubular standard is obtained.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim is 1. A lightning-rodincluding a single integra-l entity comprising a standard provided witha transversely curved flared portion, and a bent flattened portion, theend of the flattened portion being disposed between the edges of thetransversely curved flared portion.

2. A lightning rod including a single integral entity comprising astandard provided with a transversely curved flared portion, a bentflattened portion, having its end disposed between the edges of thetransversely curved flared portion, in combina tion with a cable lyingwithin the bend of the flattened portion, and means for forcing the endof the flattened portion and the cable toward the edges of thetransversely curved flared portion.

3. A lightning rod including a standard, comprising a body portion, atransversely flared portion and a bent flattened portion, said flaredand flattened portions having coinciding holes, in combination with acable lying within the bend of the flattened portion, and a boltextending through said holes and adapted to press the cable against theedges of the flared portion.

In testimony whereof, we afix our signatures, in presence of witnesses.

JOHN S. SWENSON. FRANK E. STEHL'IK.

' Witnesses:

D. V. LENT, R. EDWARDE JOHNSON, VICTOR S. JoHNsoN, BERT S. PREsBA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

